Love Bites
by Amanda N. Lupin
Summary: “Hermione, what is that? What’d you do to your shoulder?” Hermione has been bitten by something, causing Ron to start up an investigation, humor ensues.


"Hermione, what is that? What'd you do to your shoulder?" Ron asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes and coming to stand beside her at the stove.

"Sit down Ronald, I'll bring your breakfast over." she said gently in her best impression of his mother.

"Hermione?"

"What Ron?" she sighed, she really hated sharing the kitchen while she was cooking.

"What's the matter?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing, Ron. Now go sit down, please."

"Hermione?" he began, when she did not answer he pulled down the right sleeves of her dressing gown to reveal her shoulder where she bore an angry looking red scar. "That doesn't look like nothing." he gasped upon further inspection of it. "It looks like a bite. What happened? When were you bitten? What bit you? Was it one of the doxies in that cupboard mum was having you clean yesterday? You should have it looked at you know, they are pretty toxic."

"Thank you Ronald, I know very well what to do with a doxy bite. I think I would know if I had been bitten by one. Don't you think I would have been sick by now if that were the case?"

"I dunno." he said sheepishly.

"Honestly, did you ever pay any mind in Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts?" she asked exasperated shaking her head.

"Alright, so it wasn't a doxy. I still think you should have it looked at." he said quietly. "Professor Lupin!" he exclaimed suddenly, launching on the new arrival.

"Remus, if you don't mind, Ron." he said softly, smiling at him.

"Remus," he corrected breathless. "You taught Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts." Remus ignored the obviousness of this statement, while Hermione rolled her eyes, before attempting to flash Remus a warning glance. Remus, did not have the opportunity to notice it before Ron continued. "You know all about dark creatures, like the kinda things that live here in Grimmauld place,"he continued. Remus nodded, reluctantly, unable to see where this conversation was headed until Ron hit him straight on. "Hermione has been bitten by something. Would you be able to tell by looking at it what it might have been?"

"Oh? Well I don't know that I..." he sputtered.

"Here!" Ron said pulling down the shoulder of her robe to reveal the blemish on her otherwise flawless olive skin. Remus crossed the room and took a seat beside Hermione, grabbing her hand under the table and giving it a reassuring squeeze, he shot her a questioning glance. She nodded.

"I thought maybe it might have been a doxy but..." Ron continued ignored.

"No, it's not a doxy bite." Remus replied gently, tracing the long half-moon shaped scar on either side of her shoulder.

"Oh, well, that was just a guess..." he fumbled, attempting to recover himself. Remus continued to hold his gaze with her, letting her know that she could stop him at any time or take over if she wished in the eleventh hour. When she did not, but nodded ever so slightly at him, he continued.

"It is a werewolf bite Ron." Ron who had been pacing back and fourth across the kitchen floor suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"A what?" he asked stunned.

"A werewolf bite." Remus repeated. Ron muttered something, barely audible, to the effect of, "well he 'ought to know", before rounding on Hermione.

"When were you bitten? Are you a werewolf now? Do you need Wolfsbane or anything?..." he asked suddenly panicked.

"No, Ron I am not going to change into a werewolf. I don't need the potion." Hermione explained cooly.

"Yeah, but how do you know that? I mean, did the wolf just up and tell you, 'Sorry I thought you were my meal, but hey no harm done.'? Oh god, it wasn't Greyback was it?" Ron asked looking terrified. "But does this mean, you're going to act a bit like a wolf? Only Bill, when he was attacked..."

"It wasn't Greyback." Hermione interrupted. "And I wasn't attacked, so I won't be like Bill after he was attacked."

"Bloody hell Hermione, you were bitten! What do you mean you weren't attacked?"

"Will you please sit down!" she shouted finally, Ron obeyed immediately, looking fearful.

"Why aren't you as panicked about this as I am?" he asked confused.

"If you really want to know what is going on here, you would do well to just sit still, quietly, and listen." she said with a sigh. "I'm not panicked Ronald because I knew the werewolf." He stared at her confused, just how many werewolves did she know, anyway?

"So you can identify him and have him sent to Azkaban?" Ron suddenly jumped in.

"No!" she exclaimed immediately, giving him a stern, McGonagall worthy look for speaking out of turn again. He cowered in his chair, tail between his legs, and let her continue. "Ron, I want you to understand something first; I have never been so happy, as I am now. Please try to remember that."

"Okay..."Ron replied reluctantly, still waiting for her to elaborate.

"The werewolf that bit me didn't do so to change me into a werewolf, or inflict pain like Greyback; it was to mark me."

"Mark you for what?" he asked confused.

"To mark her as his mate." Remus supplied quietly.

"How would you know? You..." Ron began. "Bloody hell! You?" Ron sputtered stunned.

"What have you done to her? What's it mean?" Ron asked turning from one to the other in search of answers.

"It's a commitment of lifetime fidelity;" Remus answered gently, avoiding Ron' piercing gaze. "permanent and binding, like a wizard marriage." Hermione grabbed his hand that rested on her shoulder, on the mark, and held it there, looking up at him. She gazed into his eyes for several moments, before rubbing her cheek tenderly against his hand.

"I know it's going to take some getting used to, but I really am happy Ron." she promised, turning to her friend. Ron nodded, unable to find anything more to say. It was clear looking at the pair of them that they were very much in love with each other; inherent in the way they sat as close as they possibly could to one another, the way they held each other' gaze for eternities at a time...

"Good morning Hermione, Ron...Remus?" Harry yawned as he entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Hermione, what happened to your shoulder?" Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, glancing sidelong at Remus. He had a wicked grin on his face, a smirk that clearly said it was her turn to explain, and he would enjoy watching her try. She glared at him, but it quickly became a smile, she could never remain mad at him for very long. He was still holding her in his arms pressed back against his chest, so that she was barely even using her own chair; Ron sat up brightly and beamed. "Ron, what's a matter with you?" Harry asked confused.

"Nothing." he replied grinning. "I just can't believe I finally learned something before you did." he beamed, grabbing a piece of toast, and heading for the door. "When you figure it out Harry, I'll be in the library." he called, whistling as he walked off. Harry watched him leave, perplexed, before turning back to the other two. They were sitting awfully close together...


End file.
